Sarah Comerford, Artistic Director
Katie Sullivan
Dominic Greene
Colleen McCarthy
Robert Moran, Executive Director
Sarah Comerford | Artistic Director & Senior Orchestra Conductor
Sarah Comerford is a musician and music educator from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in both flute performance and music education, as well as a Master of Music degree in instrumental conducting from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
With a deep commitment to instrumental music and the development of young musicians, Sarah teaches at Macdonald Drive Junior High in St. John’s, where she conducts six ensembles, including concert band, string ensemble, and jazz band. Her enthusiasm for fostering musical growth extends beyond the classroom, as she plays an active role in the local music community. Sarah frequently adjudicates at regional festivals and contributes her expertise to various committees and educational working groups.
Sarah serves as the Program Coordinator for the MUN Junior Band Camp and chair the Newfoundland and Labrador Band Association. She is also past president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Music Educators’ Association.
As a performer, Sarah sings with the internationally acclaimed, award-winning women’s choir Lady Cove and plays flute and piccolo with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to music education, Sarah was recently nominated for the MusiCounts Music Educator of the Year award and attended the 2024 JUNO Awards in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Katie Sullivan | Wind Ensemble & Concert Orchestra Conductor
Katie is an accomplished educator, performer, and mentor with decades of experience inspiring young musicians across Newfoundland and Labrador. She holds degrees in Music, Music Education, and a Master’s degree in Trumpet Performance and Pedagogy from Memorial University.
Since 1995, Katie has taught instrumental music with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, helping countless students discover a lifelong love of music. She has also been a member of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra since 1993 and has served as Principal Trumpet since 2004. In addition to her extensive orchestral career, Katie is an experienced chamber musician, soloist, private instructor, and member of Lady Cove Women’s Choir.
Katie’s passion for music education, commitment to excellence, and dedication to nurturing young musicians make her a wonderful addition to the CALOS community.
Dominic Greene | String Orchestra & Concert Orchestra Conductor
A native of St. John’s, NL, violinist Dominic Greene completed a Master of Music degree in violin performance from the University of Toronto, in the studio of Erika Raum. While in Toronto, Dominic performed with various ensembles, including the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, University of Toronto Baroque Ensemble and the Sneak Peek Orchestra. During his final year of study at U of T, Dominic was privileged to have been given the opportunity to play as concertmaster of the University of Toronto Symphony, Opera and Baroque Orchestras, under the direction of Uri Mayer, Sandra Horst and Ivars Taurins, respectively. His time at U of T also gave him the opportunity to perform in masterclasses with Jonathan Crow, Jeanne Lamon, David Stewart, Tim Ying and Marie Berard. In addition, Dominic has been an active freelance performer and teacher across the Greater Toronto Area.
Prior to his studies in Toronto, Dominic attended Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance with Nancy Dahn. During his time at Memorial, Dominic played violin and viola with the Memorial University Chamber Orchestra, assuming roles of concertmaster and principal viola, and was a regular member of the first violin section of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, sitting as assistant concertmaster for the 2011-2012 season. During his studies at Memorial, Dominic was the inaugural recipient of the Dorothy and David Peters Scholarship for Music Performance at Memorial University. He has participated in summer music programs, including the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival, the Scotia Festival of Music, the Orford Festival and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. Dominic is also a regular member of the orchestra for the Opera on the Avalon Festival in St. John’s, for which he has played as concertmaster.
Dominic is currently the assistant concertmaster and personnel manager of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, and serves as a string coach and conductor for the Calos Youth Orchestra , of which he is the former assistant concertmaster. In addition to his orchestral performance, Dominic can be seen as a violinist, pianist and organist at some local churches. He also enjoys a dynamic teaching career, maintaining a busy private music studio, and is an active instructor with the Suzuki Talent Education Program of St. John’s. In addition to orchestral performance and teaching, Dominic enjoys freelancing around the city of St. John’s and surrounding areas, and can be seen performing as half of the Saltwater Strings Duo, along with friend and colleague, Brett Vey. Saltwater Strings performs in a variety of styles including folk, pop, rock and jazz.
Colleen McCarthy | Debut Orchestra Conductor
Colleen McCarthy is a musician and educator from St. John’s who is passionate about creating meaningful musical experiences for young musicians. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours), Bachelor of Music Education, and Master of Education from Memorial University, and has been a Music Specialist with NL Schools since 2016. She currently teaches classroom and instrumental music at Admiral’s Academy.
Colleen also shares her love of ensemble music with young musicians through her work as an instructor with the MUN Junior Band Camp, where she teaches the Beginning Band. She is passionate about fostering confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of making music together from the very beginning stages of a musician’s journey.
Beyond the classroom, Colleen is an experienced chamber musician, private instructor, and choral musician, and is a proud member of Lady Cove Women’s Choir. A strong advocate for music education, she is honoured to serve her community as Treasurer of the Newfoundland & Labrador Music Educators’ Association.
Colleen is thrilled to join Calos Youth Orchestra as Director of the Debut Orchestra and looks forward to helping young musicians discover the joy, connection, and excitement that come from making music together!
Robert Moran, Executive Director
Robert Moran comes to the CALOS Executive Director position not only with a passion for music and the arts, but with a wealth of experience gained from almost a decade working as Executive Director of the Community Youth Network, Southern Avalon. With a strong background in leadership, community engagement, and organizational management, Robert is eager to contribute his expertise to further the CALOS mission of inspiring artistic excellence and fostering a lifelong love of music.
In his role as Executive Director of the Community Youth Network, Southern Avalon, Robert has successfully led strategic initiatives, policy development, and fundraising efforts, collaborating closely with schools, organizations, and board members. His experience in financial management, grant proposals, and budgeting has ensured program sustainability and growth. Additionally, his role as Community Event Planner & Coordinator saw him organizing programs and fostering key partnerships of great impact.
Robert holds Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and Master’s in Leadership degrees from MUN as well as a Certificate in Communications and Public Relations from Western University, and a Certificate in Policy Development and Implementation from St. Mary’s University. Robert is also a musician who has been performing publicly and regularly for over 20 years, and you are likely to cross paths with him hiking portions of the East Coast Trail most weekends.